Ever The Same
by BensidyCity
Summary: So much changes in a year. Everything changes in a decade. But when two people are meant to be, they will find their way back to each other. Brian and Olivia are finally in a relationship after thirteen years. With relationships, come weddings. With weddings, come babies. It's now Olivia's turn to experience motherhood. But what happens when a devastating accident threatens that?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer that applies to all following chapters so that I don't have to write this every time: They aren't mine.**

**So the first two or three chapters of this story are going to be the background. First date, engagement, ect. As much as I'd love for this to be fluff and nothing else, that doesn't make for a very dramatic story. Don't worry, though, the first four chapters will be fluff and cute scenes and all that fun stuff.**

"Brian, I care about you. We made that pretty damn obvious. But I don't really know if I'm looking for a relationship right now. I jus-"

"Hang on, Olivia. You kissed me in that hospital bed. You told me you were different. This? This isn't any different than what I expected. And I believed you when you said that you aren't who you used to be. What you're doing right now? You're running. Now you can either go against what you said to me the other night and keep your old habits, or you can prove to me that It's true. That you have changed. You deserve to have somebody there for you. And I want to be that person. At least give me a chance, Olivia. That's all I'm asking for." Brian said, blocking her step out of the building.

And as Olivia stood in the doorway of the precinct, she couldn't help but fall for him just a little bit.

"And how many times did you rehearse that?" She smirked, knowing that Brian never had a way with words or emotions, per say. Brian lost his tough guy act and smiled.

"Even after twelve years I still know you. I knew exactly how you would react if I even considered the idea of being more than friends with you. So I came up with that and now I'm hoping it worked." He admitted. Olivia looked down and chuckled.

"You know I can't turn you down now." She admitted.

"Well that was easier than I anticipated. I'll pick you up from your place at 7 on Friday?"

"Not so fast, I have to check in with Cragen to make sure I'm free."

"Don't worry about it. As much as your partner hates me, he said that you deserved the night off and he'd take over your work load."

"Nick Amaro, _the_ Nick Amaro, said that to you? He must really wanna get rid of me if he's sending me off with you." Olivia joked.

"Nah, he just sees how much stress you've been under. Need to get rid of it somehow." Brian said, soon realizing his poor choice of words.

"Oh, so you're suggesting sex? Classy." Olivia said sarcastically and with as serious a face as she could hold without laughing at him.

"Of course not. That was a bad choice of words. Don't think I'm just ask-"

"I'm kidding." Olivia said, saving him from any more embarrassment. "And you're right. A night off would be amazing. Even better if I'm getting fed." She joked.

Brian laughed and shook his head at how she can go from tough cop to typical girl in minutes.

"So I'll see you Friday?" He asked.

Olivia smiled and nodded. " Sounds like a date."

Brian smirked. "I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

"No no no, you're totally wrong. Vanilla is just so plain. I get tired of it after two bites. Chocolate at least has flavor. But then you have to add the toppings to really make it good." Brian explained.

"I see what you're saying, but vanilla is just the childhood favorite. It's what I grew up with and what I'll always like the best. Besides, chocolate and toppings is just too much. Gotta watch the calories." Olivia joked.

"Oh please, you're perfect." He said, half-joking, but completely serious in his words. They both grew quiet and Olivia wished she had just laughed and made some comment to change the subject. But she waited too long and now it was just silence.

"A girl can dream." Olivia said with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

* * *

Their date had been more than perfect. And as they walked down the street, passing little shops and restaurants, they remained quiet. But Olivia couldn't hold in the quick breath she took when Brian grabbed a hold of her hand. It stopped her in her tracks. No, she didn't pull away from him physically, but in her head, she was already running.

Brian gave her time. He stood there with her for some time and just let her process that something was different about this. It was more than him holding her hand, it was a realization that this wouldn't be a one-time thing. That maybe, after endless years questioning whether she would ever have anybody to love, she was finally getting some answers.

"Is this okay?" Brian asked, quietly invading the comfortable silence that fell between them.

Taking in deep breath and willing herself to calm down, she looked up and found his eyes.

"Y-yeah. Yeah, I think so." She said, as if it was a teacher calling on her to confirm a complicated problem. She just guessed and hoped for the best.

Brian couldn't help but smile at her uncertainty. "Olivia, I want you to trust me. Just like you, I'm different than I was last time. Hell It's been over a decade, we've both changed. For the better. You have a hard time trusting people. I know that, I understand that. But please give me a chance." He said to her, squeezing her hand lightly.

Olivia kept staring at their joined hands as if they were going to fall off at any moment. Brian used his free hand to tip her chin up and break her gaze, directing it to his. Olivia let out a deep breath and nodded her head.

"Okay." She said, willing herself not to freak out.

"Okay." Brian began walking again, taking her hand with him and leading her down the street.

After over an hour of simply walking and talking about everything, Olivia realized that it was almost midnight and she had work the next morning. They headed back to Brian's car and there was a comfortable silence among them as they drove, as if they were simply getting to know each other's presence again.

Minutes seemed like seconds and before they knew it, Brian was pulling up in front of Olivia's apartment complex. He got out and opened Olivia's door for her, holding out his hand to help her out.

"May I walk you up?" He asked, putting on his best gentleman face. Olivia laughed and nodded her head.

"I'd like that."

They spent their time walking upstairs talking about why people usually screwed up first dates. She had never felt so relaxed and comfortable on a first date than she had been with Brian.

They couldn't help but walk just a bit slower when they grew closer to Olivia's door. They came to a stop right outside of the door and found themselves simply watching each other. Brian moved a hand to Olivia's cheek and gently brushed a section of her hair away that was covering her eyes. Her game met his and she was frozen. Maybe in nervousness, maybe in excitement. That trance wasn't broken until Brian's voice invaded the quiet.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked her. He said it with a lust that was so different than what it was all those years ago. He had a true desire to simply know her better.

"I'd like that." Olivia responded. Nobody had ever asked, they simply just took.

Brian brought his hand to her cheek and leaned into her, pressing his lips ever-so-gently to hers. It had felt like they were made for eachother. It felt so familiar, yet so new. It felt right.

They pulled away from each other and their foreheads met.

"Thank you." Brian whispered.

"For what?" Olivia responded, breaking their contact and meeting his eyes.

"For letting me know that I made the right choice, waiting for you all these years." He whispered. A look of confusion filled Olivia's face.

"What do you mean waiting for me?" She asked.

Brian looked down and took a breath before explaining.

"There was a girl, Monica, Two years ago. I dated her for God knows how long. I was going to propose to her, I thought she was the one for me. Goes to show that guys know nothing." He said with a small laugh. "The day I was going to go and buy the ring I saw your face on the front of the paper. You were holding little boy that had been kidnapped. I knew right then that you and I...we're different, Liv. I just had a feeling, ya know? I had a feeling that my relationship wasn't right. So I didn't buy the ring but I stayed with Monica just to see if my feelings changed. A month later I found out she was cheating on me. We split and later that year I saw you again for the first time in so long. You were...you are beautiful. I knew that Monica and I were never supposed to work out. That every relationship before I saw you again was just something to hold me over until now. And now...now I couldn't be more grateful."

Olivia's eyes had long since been filled with tears. She wiped a few of the fallen ones and tried to compose herself. She didn't have anything to say. In her loss for words, she met Brian's lips once again. They were rough yet impossibly gentle against hers. His hands tangled in her hair and her hands were flat on his chest. All time was forgotten and they were just there. Being. They broke for air and they were both overwhelmed with so much.

Brian found himself running his hands through Olivia's hair.

Time had passed, things at changed.

But the two of them...they were the constant. The two that found their way back to each other after everything else fell apart.

In the midst of so many pieces of them crumbling and endlessly changing, this part of them was bounded.

This part of them was unbreakable.

* * *

**Whale there's chapter 1. PLEASE review and let me know exactly what you think was good or terrible or OOC or just off or anything. I'm literally begging you. **


	2. Chapter 2

"Olivia, Nick, case on Hudson, right in front of Lucianos. They need you over there now." Cragen called out from his office. Olivia had just changed into her formal outfit that she had to wear for her speech that she was being forced to give. The original speaker had a death in the family and was out of town. Cragen said that they needed somebody last minute and it was crucial. It was basically an order.

She couldn't have been dreading her next few hours any more. She had always had a fear of public speaking and in all of her years at SVU, that had never changed. With any luck, she would have enough time afterwards to meet up with Brian and celebrate their one year anniversary.

"Captain, I need to be there in less than an hour." Olivia called back to him.

"I'll have them rearrange the order. Push your time back."

Olivia rolled her eyes. She thought for a split second that she would be able to get out of it.

She was wearing a form fitting black dress that hit right below her knees. It was low cut. Covering enough for work but showing plenty to leave the mind wandering. Her makeup was perfect and her hair was flawless.

Great attire for a crime scene.

"You have got to be kidding me." Olivia said, completely hating how unpredictable this job was.

"Let's just get this done fast and I'll write up the paperwork for both of us. I'll drop you off after we talk to our victim." Nick said, grabbing his jacket. Olivia sighed and gathered her things.

They arrived at the crime scene and saw nothing there. It didn't even look like a crime scene.

"Did nobody call it in?" Olivia asked rhetorically. Nick pulled over and they both got out, heading to over the entrance of Lucianos. She was not in the mood for anything at the moment but had to force a smile and get her job done.

"Nick, there is nothing here." She said, scanning the area. She walked to the entrance of the restaurant and peeked inside, seeing nothing out of the ordinary there either.

"Looking for something?" She heard a familiar voice ask from behind her. She turned around and standing there was Brian, wearing dark jeans and a button up black shirt. In his hands were a bouquet of flowers.

"Brian? What's going on?" Olivia asked, an adorable look of confusion on her face. Brian approached her and handed her the flowers.

"Seriously, guys, I have a speech in forty-five minu-" Brian cut her off with his hands framing her face and his lips pressing to hers. They broke apart but Brian's hands stayed put. He couldn't help but smile at her look of anxiety from her fear of speaking in front of anybody.

"There is no speech, baby. You can stop rehearsing what you're going to say and freaking out in your cute little head." Brian smiled. Olivia's face held nothing but pure confusion.

"Of course there is. The other guy couldn't do it and Cragen told me I-"

"Olivia. There was never any 'other guy.' You don't get surprised very often, do you?" He asked, chuckling at her innocence. She was completely, fully confused and she simply didn't understand that it had all been planned ahead of time.

"Alright, Olivia. Listen very closely. There was never a speech for you to give. There was never a crime scene in front of Lucianos. It was all this little thing called a set-up. You following me here?" Brian asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm and complete adoration. Olivia's face turned from confusion to disbelief.

"You asshole! I have been psyching myself out for days over this and it was all fake? I can't believe you! Both of you! Why on earth would you…" She continued to blow up on them, the flowers in her hand making it difficult to get her gestures across. Meanwhile, Brian looked over to Nick and gave him an assuring smile and nod, thanking him and letting him know that he was good to head back to the precinct.

Brian focused his attention back to Olivia, who stopped her ranting just to yell at him again.

"You didn't listen to a thing I just said, did you?" She asked, still angry with him.

"Nope." He smiled and inched closer to her, "Ya know, I thought you'd be a bit happier that you didn't have to go talk in front of three hundred people. I can never win." He joked, kissing her forehead. Olivia finally calmed down and accepted the fact that things just might not go her way tonight.

"Okay. So you wanna tell me what's going on here?" She asked, looking at the gorgeous flowers he got her.

"Just wanted to surprise you. Happy one year, sweetheart." He said, still mesmerizing over how adorable she is.

"I'm still mad at you...But thank you. You really know how to catch me at my worst time. Who's idea was in anyways?"

"Mine. After much convincing, I got Nick to help out. Cragen was in from the get."

"You were seriously able to get Nick to cooperate with you? I'm impressed."

"He cares about you. He'd do anything for you, Liv, even if it means helping me out. But enough about him. I've got dinner reservations for us." He said. Olivia smiled at his jealousy towards Nick.

"I don't have a thing for Nick, Bri, I never will." She said. Brian ran a hand through his hair and let out a frustrated breath.

"I know baby, but that doesn't mean he will never have a thing for you."

"Brian, listen to me." Olivia said, putting her hands on his arms, "You are the only person I want to be with. Nick knows that and knows not to mess with it. He also knows that if he does the whole squad is gonna kick his ass. I need you to trust me or this is always going to be an issue." She said firmly, kissing him afterwards to let him know that she was serious. She pulled away put Brian pulled her back, longing to feel her lips on his for as long as possible.

"Let's go. I'm starving." Olivia said, taking his hand and following his lead.

* * *

"The old ice cream parlor? I haven't been here in ages." Olivia said. They had just eaten the most expensive food that neither of them could afford and now Brian was going to spend more on her.

"This is where we came after work the first night we hung out fourteen years ago. They haven't even updated the decor. Hasn't changed a bit." Brian said, taking her hand and walking them inside. They ordered their ice cream and were told it would be a minute or two. Olivia was confused as to why it would take any time at all but didn't worry about it.

She and Brian sat down at the same table against the wall that they had all those years ago. It hadn't moved in all that time. They had just started talking when they were called right back up.

"I got it. You stay here." Brian said, standing up. He walked up to the counter and pulled out his wallet with his phone. He looked back and Olivia was in her own world, mindlessly messing with the hem of her sweater. Brian took the time he was given and set up the camera on his phone, placing it where it wasn't in plain view but it had a perfect angle of their table. He paid for their ice cream and pushed record, heading back to their table.

He sat the cups down and told Olivia to stand up.

"Wha-Why? I've been in these heels all night and standing for no reason is not what I'd lik-"

"Olivia," Brian started, shifting Olivia's attention towards him, "stand up." He took her hand in his and helped her up, squeezing her hand lightly. "We have been dating for a year today. But we have been a part of each other for so much longer than that." He paused, seeing if she was catching on to what he was doing.

She was.

Tears were already glistening her eyes and he could visibly see her heart rate picking up.

"You are the most important woman in my life. I have never known anybody so compassionate, drop-dead gorgeous, smart, funny, and as willing to put up with me as you are. I want to be the one with the privilege of standing by you in everything I do. I know it's going to be hard. I know that we will have ups and downs and times where we will want to quit on each other. Hell, we've already had a couple of them. But I have absolutely no doubts that you are made for me. I still don't know how I got so incredibly lucky, I will never know. I love you so much, Olivia." He said, smiling at the tears running down her face and her hand covering her mouth. He knelt down on one knee and pulled out the ring he had purchased weeks ago. He looked into her eyes and his question was already answered.

"Will you marry me?"

Olivia couldn't speak through her overwhelming emotions. She nodded and her tears fell even harder when Brian slipped the ring onto her finger.

It was a perfect fit.

The whole building erupted in applause.

"I love you so much. Thank you." She was able to get out. Brian stood up and pulled her into his arms.

"Never, ever thank me. I love you, baby." He said, getting emotional himself. He framed her face with his hands and kissed her with more passion than he ever had before.

The excitement of the crowd was dying down and they were going back to their conversations. Brian and Olivia were so lost in each other, Brian almost forgot the entire thing was on video. He pulled away from their kiss and stepped away.

"Now" He said walking over to the counter and picking up his phone, pointing it towards her, "Would you mind saying yes to the camera?" He said, loving her shocked face.

"You have got to be kidding me, Brian." She said, approaching him and slapping his chest playfully.

"You didn't answer the question, babe." Brian told her.

"I think they know the answer." She said, pushing his phone away from her and wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him once again.

Brian's arm fell to his side and he forgot to stop the recording.

He forgot everything except for the woman standing in front of him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, here is the last chapter of plain fluff. The real story starts in the next chapter. **

* * *

"Is it normal to be scared out of my mind right now?" Olivia asked Casey, who had pulled her aside for some last minute touch ups before the wedding started. People were already settling down and they were about to begin. Olivia was dressed in a gorgeous white strapless dress. It was tight where it needed to be and breathtakingly flowing from her hips and down.

"Of course it is. Hell, I'd be surprised if you weren't. Brian is the one you want to be with, right?" She asked.

"Of course he is. I've haven't even questioned it. I don't know why I feel like this right now but I hope I put on enough deodorant because I'm freaking out right now." She joked.

"Aw, hon, It's just the nerves and the excitement. Besides, It's a little windy so you'll get aired out. Now, I have to go. I've got a wedding to attend to." Casey said, giving Olivia one last hug before going to meet the other bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Olivia was originally going to have her captain walk her down the aisle but ultimately decided that she wanted Fin to. He had been there for her for so many years and always saved her when she needed him the most. If he hadn't been undercover with her and gotten to her when he did, Olivia probably wouldn't be standing there right then. She most likely would have settled down, taken a break from work or maybe she would have found a different job completely. Inevitably, she would be in a completely different spot in her life.

A hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts. She jumped a little bit and tore her attention from the ground in front of her.

"You ready for this, Liv? It's almost time to head in." Fin said, gently fixing a curl that was hanging in front of her shoulder.

"Y-yeah….I'm ready." Olivia said nervously.

"You're not havin' any doubts are you? Because I don't want you going through with this if you aren't 100% su-"

"Fin. I am 110% sure of this. Just nerves, that's all, okay?" Olivia said, assuring him with a smile.

Before they knew it, Olivia's arm was linked with Fin's and they were walking through the grass to the aisle in between the twenty or so chairs that filled the area. The aisle was lined with gorgeous flowers. Soon, the crowd was standing and Olivia locked eyes with the love of her life. She felt chills running through her entire being. It was as if everything else disappeared.

They reached the end of the aisle and Fin released her arm, whispering words of encouragement before moving to stand next to Cragen. Olivia stepped forward and as she moved closer, she could see the tears glistening Brian's eyes. This took her breath away. Brian was typically not an emotional person so this shocked Olivia and truly made her understand how much he loves her. She realized that they were both in tears before the ceremony even really began.

Brian took her hand in his and brought her to stand in front of him, leaning in to whisper in her ear even though he knew it wasn't usually done.

"You are so gorgeous." He said quietly. The two of them chuckled at the looks they got from their guests.

The officiant began speaking but Olivia and Brian were too lost in each other to really pay attention. They were brought back to reality when they heard him mention the vows. They snapped out of their trance and Brian's hands frantically checked his pockets for the paper that was nowhere to be found.

Olivia laughed and waited a few seconds before holding his arm with one hand and grabbing the paper that was obviously sticking out of his jacket pocket with the other. Brian's face turned bright red and their guests were all trying to contain their laughs. Everybody soon settled down and Brian started speaking.

"Olivia Benson, I love you so incredibly much. I love who you used to be, who you are now, and who you are yet to become. I promise to listen to you and learn from you, to support you and accept your support. I will love you and have faith in your love for me, through all our years and all that life may bring us. We have already gone through so much, from decade long separations to too many near death experiences. But through those, we always found our way back to each other. I will continue to turn to you in all of my hardships and times when I need somebody to rely on. Together, we will build a home and a family filled with laughter and love. I want to be your protector, your friend, and your lover in all things, today and all of the days that follow. I love you, Olivia."

And as he finished, he looked up into Olivia's eyes and saw nothing but pure love. And tears. Lots of those. She knew that he likely googled 'vows' and used an old template but she didn't care. She almost forgot that she now had to say something, too.

"Being a person that is terrified of public speaking, I'm going to keep this short. Today, I take you to be my husband. This will be a day that we will remember for the rest of our lives. I vow to love you with everything I have. To treat you with respect and cherish every moment we spend together. I promise to take care of you in good times, and in bad. To support you, and guide you, and be the best wife that I can. I vow to share life's achievements and success, as well as the disappointments and hardship. Even though I have a hard time with this, as most everybody here knows, I promise to accept your love and lean on you and ask for your support when times get rough. You are the most important person in the world to me, and I promise to love you forever."

Brian had never felt so in tune with Olivia. He threw the rulebook out the window and kissed her cheek.

"You can't do that yet." Olivia smiled.

"Oops." Brian whispered back. They said their I do's and the officiant finally told them to kiss. Brian moved closer to her and framed her face, holding her with more tenderness and love than he ever had before. Their lips touched and Brian gently wiped away Olivia's tears with the pads of his thumbs. Their lips separated and he encased her in his arms, their foreheads touching.

"I love you so much, baby." He said into her ear for only her to hear.

"I love you more." She replied, taking his hand and letting him lead her down the aisle. Everybody was clapping and watching as Brian kissed Olivia's cheek as they walked.

The photographer was capturing every moment of it.

* * *

Everybody was enjoying their night. The weather was absolutely beautiful, the crowd was small but that made it all the better, and everybody was happy.

Truly happy.

Olivia was off having a conversation with Cragen their plans for the future when she heard the familiar clanking of glass. She turned around to see Brian standing on a chair, an expensive chair, to get everybody's attention. Olivia shook her head in pure enjoyment and laughed when he almost lost his balance. Everybody found a seat and Olivia stayed put with Don by her side.

"Well, uh, first of all, I'd like to thank everybody for coming out here today. It means so much to Olivia and I to have you all here and celebrating this day with us. To a point, at least. The night will drag on like all wedding nights do and Liv and I will soon be rushing to get you out the door so we can enjoy our night. And I mean really enjoy it." He said with a wink, effectively embarrassing Olivia to the point where she wanted to shut him up right then and stuff a sock in his mouth.

Brian met her eyes and laughed at how red she was. "Sorry, I had to. Anyways, Liv and I weren't originally going to give wedding speeches but I decided that I wanted to. I'm not a great writer, or even a good one for that matter, but I spent a few hours putting off paperwork and came up with a few things.

When I was younger, I always pictured myself marrying a beautiful woman, getting a house and one day, possibly, children. But as relationships and years came and went, I felt that dream slip away slightly.  
That was until I met Olivia. We started off a bit differently than most others. We met in the Special Victims Unit precinct in 1999. Romantic, huh? From the beginning we had an interest in each other, but didn't exactly act on it in the right way. Short story shorter, we had a thing for a week or so then went our own ways. But in the twelve years that passed until I saw her again, she never left my mind. This is one of the many ways I knew that Olivia was the one for me.

When I finally did see her again, she was so, incredibly stunning. I swear to you this woman doesn't age. We took our relationship slowly and over the course of a year and a half, both knew that things were right where they needed to be.

I'll save you the details of a street cop dating a highly known detective who can never stop putting herself in danger. Just know that there were moments when we almost lost each other. But that didn't stop us from always finding our way back.

Olivia...Olivia is a godsend. Without her, I would be some clumsy, wreck of a man. She has taught me everything that I need to know. She has taught me that there is never a bad time for takeout, unless nobody knows about your relationship and your colleagues come knocking at your door. She has taught me that a woman can look absolutely stunning in sweats and a jacket at eight in the morning. She has taught me to never question her. She is always right. Most importantly, she has taught me to make the most out of every situation. To never take a moment for granted. And to be incredibly grateful for what you are given."

Olivia stood with tears streaming down her face. She never could have imagined this, let alone thought she would be hearing it from Brian. He caught her eye and held his hand out for her to come up and join him, stepping off of his chair. After confirming that her legs still worked, she made her way up to the front of the crowd, loving the way Brian put his arm around her and held her close.

He said his thank you's and showed his gratitude towards everybody that helped out and attended. He started to close out his speech, but not without a few final words.

"Finally, I want to thank my beautiful wife. Thank you, Olivia, for marrying me. For making me the luckiest guy in the world." He finished, giving Olivia a passion-filled kiss as everybody was applauding.

The night went on and before they knew it things were dying down. There was only one more slow dance left and Brian wanted to make it special. The slow music started playing and Brian looked around for Olivia, he spotted her drinking her champagne, caught up in a conversation with Casey. He made his way over to them and came up behind Olivia, catching Casey's attention.

"Mind if I steal her for a minute?" He asked, causing Olivia to turn around at the sound of his voice.

"Be my guest." Casey smiled, taking the glass from Olivia's hands. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this." She laughed.

Brian noticed the change in her height and saw that she had no shoes on. Olivia caught him looking down and knew what he was wondering.

"My feet started killing me after the first fast song. So I ditched the shoes." She said.

"I'm glad." Brian said, taking her in his arms when they got to the dance floor. Her head fit perfectly to his chest. "I like you right here."

They weren't dancing so much as swaying in each other's embrace. Olivia's arms were tucked into Brian's suit jacket and clasped around his back. Brian had both of his hands cradling his wife. His head rested on hers and they moved together, unconcerned with the loud crowd of people and not paying attention to the conversations going on around them.

All she they could hear was the sound of happy people.

All that she could see was the perfect night.

All that she could feel was the love of her life.

And all that she wanted was an eternity with him.


End file.
